Zama makes Pilot Cup bright

Costa Mesas soccer store and its owner are happy to be a part of the 11th annual tournament, providing T-shirts and other equipment.

May 30, 2010|By Steve Virgen

If a bird's eye view photo could be taken of Costa Mesa next week, surely the portion near Costa Mesa High would stand out. Bright colors tend to grab your attention, and in the hypothetical photo, there would be 30 different shades and tones.

What's going on there?

If the photo moved in real motion, the colors would be darting back and forth, side to side, maybe even rounding in circles on the fields at Costa Mesa High and the Costa Mesa Farm Complex.

The event taking place there, Tuesday through Sunday, is the Daily Pilot Cup soccer tournament. And, perhaps the best way to notice the soccer extravaganza is taking place is by the bright-colored T-shirts the young players are wearing.

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For the past decade, Costa Mesa resident Hosane Zama and his store, Zama Sports — 4 Soccer, have been providing those loud shirts for the tournament that's in its 11th year. This year there are 201 teams and close to 3,000 little footballers representing 30 elementary schools in the Newport-Mesa area.

The store also supplies the medals the players receive at the end of the tournament. The corner flags on the fields, some balls and other equipment also come from the Zama Sports store that's in Costa Mesa. The chalked lines on the fields come from Zama, too.

Of course, Zama and his company make some profit from the tournament, but it's not too significant, as it's only $5 for each shirt. That's the price for each child to enter the tournament. They keep the shirt, in most cases as a reminder of a special time spent playing soccer with their friends and classmates.

"It makes me feel good," Zama said of supplying the tournament with its signature apparel and other equipment. "It's a soccer tournament in Costa Mesa. It was natural for us to be involved. A big tournament like that, we definitely want to be a part of it."

In 1986, Zama launched his soccer business, which began humbly. Zama tends to use the words "grass roots" to describe the effort it took to keep it alive.

He started the business mainly because of his love of soccer.

A true fan of the sport, it's easy for him to see why soccer is commonly referred to as the beautiful game.

He stands firmly by the statement his company makes to customers in an advertisement introduction of Zama Sports.

"All our energy and resources have been dedicated to preaching the gospel of soccer."